Improvement in car-couplings



U 1\TITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. MITCHELL, OF LANCASTER, NEW HAMPSHRE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters latent No. 169,720, dated November9, 1875; applicationfiled September 4, 1875.

T0 all zvhom it may c'oncern:

Be it known that I, JAR/LES C. MITCHELL, of Lancaster, in the eonnty ofCoos and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and ooupling; baror link: B into proper position.

The inner part of the eavity of the draw-bar A is made wider than theonter part, to forin shoulders a for the -ends of the coupling-plate 0to rest against to snstain the draft-strain. Upon the upper part of theside edgesof the eonplingplace 0 are formed gndgeons or piv 0138 0,which work inbearings in the sides of the coupling-bar A, and have nutsscrewed upon'their ends to prevent lateral movement. The pivots 0 aresecured in their bearings by the top plate a of the draw-bar A, which ismade detachable, and Whieh is secured in place by screws, as shown inFig. 1.

The detaohable top a enables the coupling-plate 0 to be oonveniently putin and taken out, as rua-y be reqnired. lhe lower edge of thecoupling-plate 0 does not reaoh quite to the bottom of cavity of thedraw-bar A, a space being left suflcient to receive the body of thecoupling-bar B. The couplingbar B haS a head or shoulder, b, formed nponthe upper side of one or both ends, and the upper side of said e1id orends is beveled off, so'that, when the cars are run together, the end ofthe entering conpling-bar may push baek the oonpling-plate whioh, assoon as the head b bas passed its lower edge, swings forward, so thatthe shonlder of the head 1) may rest against the rear side of said edgeand sustain the draft-strain.

The bar B may be made straight to couple cars of the same height; or itma5 be bent t0 couple cars of different heights; or it may have a head,1), at one end, and a slot at the other end, as shown in Fig. 1, tocouple a car provided with my improved coupling With one provided Withan ordinary coupling.

Upon the pivots 0 of the couplingplate 0 are placed the upper ends oftwo levers, D, which are seeured in place by the nnts screwed upon saidpivots, so that the coupling-plate 0' may be swung baek to uncouple theoarsl y operating the said levers D. The en'ds of the levers D areconnected beneach the draw-bar A by a cross-bar, E, the ends of whichproject, so that they may serve as handles t0 enable the levers D to beoperated to uncouple the cars from either side of said cars. The leversD and cross-bar E als0 serve as a weight to hold the ooupling-plate Odown to its place.

Having thus described my invention, I olaim as new and desire to ent-The combination ofidraw-bar, having shonlders a and detachable top plate03., anda coupling-place, having the pivots 0, as and for the pnrposespecified.

JAMES G. MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

HAS. E. ALLEN, O. W. ROBY, J. M. KIMBALL.

seoure by Letters Pat-l

